1. Get Some Exercise – duh.
2. Know Who You Are – the DNA in this dog is so strong – he is bred to herd and he does it very well. So well in fact that he has tunnel vision when doing so and can’t see me or hear me when it’s time to leave the beach or dog park. Errgg. But I have (mostly) accepted this. Because he is doing what he is born to do – and it brings him such joy! What a great lesson for us. What are you really good at? What are you born to do?
3. Tell Others To Respect Your Boundaries – Finn doesn’t like to be sniffed in his privates by other dogs (can you blame him?). But this is how dogs communicate, right? So this is a problem, and it can lead to snarly behavior. But since I now know this about him and he always gives the other dog the signal that he is uncomfortable, I support him in this boundary. You don’t want to chat with that dog? OK, no problem.
4. Be In Service To Others – Finnegan comes with me to the acupuncture clinic I work in part-time. He loves greeting people and being in the treatment rooms with my patients. He goes and sits by them when their emotions get uncomfortable, trying to ease their suffering. He keeps them company during the session, providing even more healing energy. He knows this is his job and he loves to do it.
5. Connect To Nature – He wants to be outside as much as possible – he loves to lie in the dirt or the grass, to sleep under the bushes and to walk in the rain. I really appreciate how connected to nature he is – and it inspires me to get closer to the earth too.
6. Be Generous – Finn readily shares his balls and toys with other dogs. It makes me smile every time and reminds me to be more generous too.
7. Be Friendly To Strangers – you never know if they might give you a biscuit.
8. Be Spontaneous – he is super-excited just to leave the house and is always up for anything. Where are we going?! What are we gonna do?!
9. Get a lot of Sleep – other than herding, this is his favorite activity and he’s really good at it.
10. Be Grateful For Your Food – this is for me? Oh wow, thanks! I’m a big fan of listing things I’m grateful for as I fall asleep each evening, or at any time, for that matter. And when things sometimes get hard, it helps to focus on what’s good in life – really, there’s so much of it. The more you are grateful, the more you have to be grateful for!
and lastly,
11. Never Relax Your Vigilance Against The Squirrel (I couldn’t resist!)
I hope you find some of this doggie wisdom helpful. A lot of it is wisdom I try to share with others: be in nature; move your body; practice gratitude; have strong boundaries with your energy and time; and do what you love. Pretty cool, huh? Dogs have it down.
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